Calling friends | Imamother

amother

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 9:46 pm

how late do you think it's reasonable for a 5th grader to call someone. Just got a call for my daughter from someone who might become her pen pal or something- it was at 9:30. am I crazy for thinking that's too late? My dd is supposed to be in bed before that!

Chayalle

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 9:49 pm

At that age, IIRC, I used to limit calls to before 9 pm.

Just tell the caller that your DD is not available.

Ch"V DO NOT SAY IT IS TOO LATE OR YOUR CHILD IS SLEEPING if your child is anything like mine. Apparently it's one of the top most embarrassing things a mother can say.

amother

Oak

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 9:52 pm

Chayalle wrote:

It's not our job to embarrass our children? Rolling Laughter

amother

White

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 10:09 pm

Chayalle wrote:

Anytime the phone rings after 9 DD reminds me not to say anything like that.

amother

Teal

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 10:50 pm

Personally I don’t pick up my cell phone after like 9:30. I think that’s late for a 5th grader. But now my daughter is in sixth and suddenly everyone is going to bed so late. So I might not notice if the phone rings that late.. but only if it’s one of her very close friends. I don’t think anyone else would call so late.

Then again I have teachers call me after 10:30.
😴😴😴😴😴

lfab

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 10:56 pm

I agree that it's too late but I think it has to do a lot with the child's place in the family. My 6th grader is my oldest and since she has to leave the house very early I expect her to be upstairs getting ready for bed by 9. Plus I need to go to bed pretty early since I get up aron's 5:30. But she has some friends who have older siblings in their upper teens so the whole family just runs on a different schedule. Based on my own experiences growing up I'm sure that by the time my current baby is in 6th grade she probably won't even have a bed time😑.

amother

Crimson

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 11:11 pm

It's on the later side for that age but not ridiculously late. I'd let her take the call this once and if it happens again ask her to tell the friend to call earlier next time.
It really does depend on the family.

amother

Lilac

Tue, Oct 27 2020, 12:48 am

lfab wrote:

Totally. When I was a kid I was best friends with a youngest, I'm an oldest.
She called to make plans for an outing I would join her family on, at 8:00. My mom got everything I would need, I got ready for bed, ready to wake up at 7 and have then pick me up at 8.
They knocked on the door at 8 pm and I was in PJs LOL

seeker

Tue, Oct 27 2020, 2:09 am

Doesn't matter, you get to set the rules in your home. I feel like for the sake of family routine I need to not have the kids busy on the phone at that hour. Families with teens have a very different structure and I get it. I wouldn't embarrass my kid by saying she's ready for bed, but I would say that they should try calling earlier tomorrow. Also, I use my judgment - if it's a kid who rarely calls, I'd ask what it's regarding, and if it's tachlis then I'll pass it on. If it's a kid that my kid shmoozes with all the time, has a history of staying on the phone for an hour, etc, I will very firmly request an earlier call next time.